Universal joint



July 1,1930. A H. c. HARms `1,768,759

UNIVERSAL` JOINT Filed Jan. 14, 1928 Peten@ July 1, A193e i nowann c.' mais, or Arnon, omo

,Toner .application mea Jennery 1a, lwas.v 'semi ne. 246,735,

This inventionrelates to universal joints and' more particularly to universal joints for use in automobiles', although the principles vof the invention are applicable to universal joints for use in other apparatus.l

. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a universal joint that will -be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, ca-

pable of transmitting the' loads to which it ie 1e' e'umeeredr end whieh will be devoid ver v f relatively -moving contacting metal surfaces so as to n'o'tl require lubrication.`

A. further object of the inventionl is to lrovide a universal 'oint'that be capa- 15 le of4 cushioning s ocks and avoid their 1 .m "on from one'of the shaft members .tothe other.' f VArfurtlxer object of the invention is to provide a 'universal joint .of comparatively @.lgple design that may be'readily disassem-i.

and vreassembled when'necessary.l i-Otherobjects .oft e invention 'and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description takenin conneclftion v*with the accompanying. drawings,'of gwhieh- 1 is an vend elevation of"a"universal oint ying :my inventiomcertain parte l broken and otherparts'shovmin secthe universal joint with one ofthe shaft vlllllhbers shown'inelevationand Fig. 3 isadetail' 'on 8 5 slight modicationeof the lusxtrted in L `1 and erung' to igsl an -2 eene the shea members whieil may be in the form of internally -plinedjtubeabifueated float oneend and provided withp ,ject .trunnionsf12 and 13.

' 412 en ,1s are plefereslyfgef tefperied" feria @nstmtien i1- land P1ysn1 ms? Ijhave shownthem 'as 45 m; cross section, circumferentially ex. rtending memberl'preferably pressed from -sheet metal, hasaconical'edange .iextendaxially 'of the shaft members and i's also provided with radially `extending depres-4 0 sions 16, adjacent each -of the trumnons,

` sides of the-socket turning with respect to these mem- .bers 14 and 21., .Y Bolts .23 exten axes of the shaft members 10 and 11 con; ;nect the members 14 and 21 and I prefer to have `these bolts arr 1 'site sides of the soc et members 18, as

2 is a longitudinal section throughv illustrating' a `14and21. are drawntogether, thecoopera-V 'l dan' ge 10 and 11 -indi-.-

should be a substantial clearance' between the which rovide radial slots 17 for a purpose to be ereinafter described. Socket' members 18 areassociated with each of the trunjnions 12 and 13, of the two shafts,- and ilexible bushings 19, preferably of rubber, are. arranged between each of said socket members and its associated trunnion. 'Y

Each of the socket members 18 has a` beveled circumferentially extending surface 20 which cooperates with'the interior of the conical ange 15. A 21 fits against thev mlgilners 18uand is 'also provided 4with radially extendingV de ressions 16 to form slots 17 and each o the socket members has lugs 22 which fit' the radial slots 17, for Athe purpose offrming an interlocking connection between the sock- 'z5 'I in the direction of the edin pairs on opposhown in Fig'. 1. By tightening the bolts 23'. the -socket members 18 areclam ed between the members 14 and 21 and, as t e -members tion of the beveled4 surfaces 2O withthe conil15 causes the socket vmembers 18 to befmoved axially of the trunnions' 12 and 13" to thereby com ress the bushings 19. Such compression o `the bushings l9causes vthe rubber toilow axiall of the trunnions 99 .and also 'causes the "bushmgs to engage the socket members',- as well as the trurmions,

with sufficient force to normally prevent the all bushinlgsffrom turning either in the 'socket members or on the trunnions so that the relative angular movements vof the shaft mem'- bers 10 and'll will be accommodated vby the of the bushi s. In'this that there torsional iiexi connectionit .should bev observe ,of the invention as it is inner ends of the socket members 18 and the shaft members, at the point 24, to provide an exposed rubber surface that will beV suiicient to accommodate the relative angular movements of the adjacent metal parts, without chafing of the rubber at these points.

In Ithe form illustrated in Fig. 3 there are two similar circumferentially extending members 25 and 26 which are reversely arranged and which have conical flanges 27 to cooperate with oppositely beveled surfaces 28 on the socket members. In other respects the construction conforms to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the foregoingit will be seen that I have provided a universal joint in which all contacting metal parts are rigidly secured,l together and the relative angular movements of the shaft members Yare accommodated by thev torsional flexing of the rubber bushings which require no lubrication and have the further advantage that these bushings absorb shoeks which would be transmitted by contacting metal parts.

While I haveY illustrated and described what I now consider to be theY preferred form of my invention, itis understood that various changes may be made in the details of the constructions illustrated and described, wit'hout departin efined in the ap-A pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, -I claim: l

1. In a universal joint,'a pair of shaft members each having oppositely projecting trunnions, flexible bushings surrounding said trunnions, socket members for said bushings, circumferentially extendin means connecting said socket members, an means for moving said socket members radially to compress said bushings axially of said trunnions. Y

2. In a universal joint, a pair of shaft members each having voppositely projecting trunnions, and means connecting said members comprising fiexible .bushings on said trunnions and radiall movable socket members in which sai bushings are received, and means whereby said bushings are prevented-from slipping on said 'trunnions and in said socket members.

- 3. In a universal joint, a pair ofshaft members each having oppositely pro'ecting trunnions, and means connecting sai .members comprising flexible bushings on` said trunnions and sockets in which said bushings are received, and means for moving said sockets axially of said trunnions to compress said bushings.

4. In a universal joint, a` pair of shaft members each having oppositely projecting trunnions, circumferentially extending means surrounding said trunnions and including relatively movable socket members fromV the spirit z coaxial with the respective trunnions, a rubber bushing fitting each of said socket members and the trunnion associated therewith and normally held against turning in the socket member or on the trunnion, whereby the changes in the angular relation of the axes of said shaft members are accoinmodated by torsional flexing of said bushing. 5. In a universal joint, a pair of shaft members each having oppositely projecting trunnions, circumferentially extending means surrounding said trunnions and including sockets coaxial with each trunnion, a rubber bushing fitting each of said sockets and the trunnion associated therewith and normally held against turning in the socket or on the trunnion, and means for compressing said bushings axially of said trunnions.. 6. In a universal joint, a pair of shaft members each having oppositely projecting trunnions, a circumferentially extending member surrounding said trunnions, socket members carried by said circumferentially extending member and arranged coaxially with each of said trunnions, a rubber bushing between each of said socket members and fitting the trunnion associated therewith, means for securing said socket members to said circumferentially extending member and cooperating means on said circumferentially extending member and'each of said socket members for moving each of said socket members axially of its associated trunnions for the purpose of compressing said bushings.

` 7. In a universal joint, a pairl of shaft members eachhaving oppositely projecting trunnions, la circumferentially extending vmember surrounding said trunnions and having a conical flange extending axially of said shaft members, a' socket member 'associated with each of said trunnions and each 'having a beveled surface cooperating with said flange, a rubber bushing arrange between each socket member and its associated trunnion, and means for clamping said socket member to said circumferentially extending member and whereby the socket membersare moved axially of the trunnions to compresssaid bushings.

8. In a universal joint, a pair of shaft members each havin oppositely projecting trunnions, al air o circumferentially extending mem rs surrounding said trunnions Vand each havin a conical flange extending axially of sai shaft members, socket members carried by said circumferentialgether for the et members.

. 9. In a universal joint, `a pair of shaft purpose of securing said sockmembers each havin oppositely projecting trunnions, a pair o circumferentia ly ex'- tending members for transmitting torsional stresses from one 'of said ,shaft members tov l the other and each having a radially extending slot adjacent each of said trunnions, socket members associated with each of said trunnions and engagin the adjacent slots in said circumferentia y extending members, rubber bushings arranged between each socket member and itsassociated trunnion, and means for clamping said circumferentially extending members together to secure said socket members.

10. In a universal joint, a air of shaft" members each having opposite y projecting trunnions, a pair o circumferentially extending members for transmitting torsional stresses from one of said shaft members to' the other and each having a radially extending slot adjacent each'of -said trunnions,

socket members associated with each of said trunnions and engagin the adjacent slots in said circumferentia y extending members, rubber bushings arranged between each socket member and its associated trunnion,

means extending memberstogether to secure said socket members, said socket members and for clamping said circumferentially face to cooperate with said flange, a rubber bushing between each socket member and.

its associated ztrunnion, and means for securingsaid socket members to said pressed ymetal member and whereby the engagement of said beveled surfaces with said ian e move the socket members axially of their associatedtrunnions to compress said bushin s.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiixl my signaturet HOWARD c. HARRIS.

one of' said 'circumferentially extending members having cooperating means whereby the socket pose ofr compressing said bushings.

stresses from one'of thev other and each y cent slots in'said circumferenti members each having 11. In a universalv joint, a air of shaft members eachhavin opposite y pro'ecting trunnions, a pair o circumferentia yl extending members. for transmitting torsional havin a radially'ex tending slot adjacent ea'c of said trun nions, socket members associated with eachtrunnions, a Presse metal member surmembers are moved radially of their associated trunnions for the pur- I said shaft members to i members having cooperating los` c ne -iixs y Projecting rounding said trunnions-and-havinga conical flange extending axiallybf said shaft members, a socket member surroundin each of said trunnions and having a bevele surf' 

